In Win(/XP), command 'mail' creates empty mail buffer and error "Opening output file: invalid argument...".

[Laurent Langlois]

The Problem
-----------

Calling 'mail' to compose an email, I get:

  1- an empty '*mail*' buffer, i.e., no Header lines and no
     Separator line ("--text follows this ...") ;

  2- the following error message in the mini-buffer:

       Opening output file: invalid argument, d:/Laurent/#*mail*#2268xvT#

A Workaround
------------

The following workaround seems to work (I was able to send an email to
myself and if you get this, I was able to send you this bug report.)

  I modified the 'mail' function and changed all occurences of "*mail*"
  to "-mail-".

  Hence, (insert (buffer-name)) inserted: -mail-

Thanks.

--
Laurent Langlois
(modest contributor to FSF)

P.S.:  I have been using Emacs for over twenty years now and this is
       the very first time that I am sending a bug report.

       You guys are doing marvellous work.

       Thank you so very very very much !



In GNU Emacs 22.1.1 (i386-mingw-nt5.1.2600)
 of 2007-06-02 on RELEASE
Windowing system distributor `Microsoft Corp.', version 5.1.2600
configured using `configure --with-gcc (3.4) --cflags -Ic:/gnuwin32/include'

Important settings:
  value of $LC_ALL: nil
  value of $LC_COLLATE: nil
  value of $LC_CTYPE: nil
  value of $LC_MESSAGES: nil
  value of $LC_MONETARY: nil
  value of $LC_NUMERIC: nil
  value of $LC_TIME: nil
  value of $LANG: ENU
  locale-coding-system: cp1252
  default-enable-multibyte-characters: t

Major mode: Lisp Interaction

Minor modes in effect:
  icomplete-mode: t
  display-time-mode: t
  encoded-kbd-mode: t
  tooltip-mode: t
  mouse-wheel-mode: t
  menu-bar-mode: t
  file-name-shadow-mode: t
  global-font-lock-mode: t
  font-lock-mode: t
  blink-cursor-mode: t
  unify-8859-on-encoding-mode: t
  utf-translate-cjk-mode: t
  auto-compression-mode: t
  column-number-mode: t
  line-number-mode: t
  transient-mark-mode: t

Recent input:
y M-x m a i l <return> C-M-- <C-f8> s e n d <tab> m 
<tab> a i <tab> l <tab> M-x m a <backspace> C-g C-h 
f m a i l <return> <help-echo> <down-mouse-1> <mouse-2> 
C-SPC <M-right> M-w <f7> * s c <tab> <return> C-y <M-left> 
<f5> * m a i l * <return> - m a i l - <return> SPC 
SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC SPC C-M-x <help-echo> 
<help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> <help-echo> 
<help-echo> <menu-bar> <help-menu> <report-emacs-b
ug>

Recent messages:
Quit [2 times]
Loading help-fns...done
Type C-x 1 to remove help window.  
Mark set
Saved text from "(defun mail (&optional noerase to subjec"
Mark set [2 times]
Replaced 12 occurrences
mail
Loading emacsbug...done
Undo!